This blog mainly introduces traditional Japanese things including seasonal events, flowers, confectionery, handicrafts, bunraku(Japanese puppet theater). Short introductions and links to all of my blog posts are shown on four calendar pages on sidebar.

Friday, July 31, 2015

The temple has 136 hells and a paradise. In Japan, there are a lot of hells(jigoku) such as Owakudani(Great Boiling Valley) in Kanagawa, jigoku of Beppu in Oita. People in the past thought the view of a volcanic area resembled a hellish picture in Japanese Buddhism.

Blood Pond Hell is said to be a pond located in Hell. It is said the water looks red due to color change in algae. It doesn't always look red.

Jizo(Ksitigarbha) is one of Buddhist bodhisattvas. His mission is to save people between Buddha's death and the appearance of Maitreya(弥勒菩薩, Miroku-bosatsu). Yama(閻魔大王, Enma Daio) is the lord of death and give sentence on the dead. Jizo and Yama are opposite sides to the same coin. Ancient people associated Jizo with a belief in a travelers' guardian deity, so its statues were located to hornor it by roadsides around Japan.

He is also regarded as the guardian of children because he saves children who have to pile stones eternally like Sisyphus at Sai-no-kawara, the banks of the Sanzu River. The children can't cross the Sanzu River because they predeceased their parents. They are bullied by ogres at Sai-no-kawara.

Stone piles were build by the bereaved to console the spirits of their deceased family members. Leave them alone.

Gokuraku-hama is the Lake Usori-ko's beach. It means the beach of the Buddhists' paradise filled with happiness. Gokuraku' and 'sukhaavatii' are Sanskrit words used to refer to Amitabha's pure land. This white sand beach is reminiscent of the pure land.

The reverse side of the Earthquake Memorial Monument (jizo for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011)

This monument was build on Gokuraku-hama beach in 2012 because the temple's worshippers include the earthquake and tsunami victims. The temple hopes each of visitors will commemorate the victims by putting one's hand into one of 60 different handprints that fits one's size.

Pinwheels are offered to aborted and miscarried babies, deceased babies and infants as substitute for flowers. Some people say pinwheels symbolize a cycle of reincarnation.photo by APTINET Aomori Sightseeing Guide

Osorezan(恐山, Mt. Osore), also known as Usoriyama, is a stratovolcano with a caldera lake(Lake Usori-ko) and hot springs located the centre of Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture. Osorezan Taisai Festival(Osorezan Grand Festival) was held at Osorezan-Bodaiji temple(恐山菩提寺) located in Osorezan from July 20 to 24. The temple hold annual festivals in July and October. Tradition says buddhist monk Jikakutaishi established the temple in 862. Osorezan has been considered as a sacred ground.

Through a ritual process known as "kuchiyose", blind mediums known as itako claim to communicate with the dead and deliver messages in their voices during annual festivals in July and October. Some poeple say they speak this region's dialect too fast and it's hard to catch words in it. Kuchiyose in the temple started after the WW2. The temple has no part in it.

The bridge is the entrance to the hallowed ground, Osorezan. But the bridge is a little way off the temple.
The Sanzu River(Sanzu-no-kawa), officially known as Shozu-gawa River(正津川), is similar to the Styx. The bridge over the Sanzu River straddles the border between this world and the underworld. It is said the bad can't go over this bridge and visitors must not look back on the bridge on return route.

Somon Gate(front gate)
Osorezan is a sacred place, but it attracts a lot of tourists. There are a restaurant and a souvenir shop near its front gate. Tourists can take a taxi and many tour buses stop there.

Six Ksitigarbha statues stands near the front gate. The Ksitigarbhas protect all beings in the Six Realms(the human realm, the demi-god realm, the god realm, the animal realm, the hungry ghost realm, the hell realm) of Karmic Rebirth. All living beings are born into one of the six states of existence among Buddhists.

Four hot springs cabins are located on the ground. Visitors can take a bath in these hot springs, but the cabins are visible through a window. Worshippers used to purify themselves before offering prayers.

Temple lodging is available. It's an air-conditioned accommodation. A night's lodging costs 12,000 yen(one night and two meals per day). In principle, lodgers have to attend the morning religious service.

Toba Hall

Sotobas with a height of three meters. Sotoba(toba) is a tall wooden tablet to pray for the repose of souls. Sotoba derives from the Sanskrit word stupa.

About Me

I live in Yokohama, Japan. I like making Japanese confectionery, fancywork using Japanese cloth and handicrafts. Making full use of dictionaries, I'm writing this blog. I hope my English is clear enough.